Ball check for bowling alleys



April 1, 1941.

J. E. BANCROFT 36,560

BALL CHECK FOR BOWLING ALLEYS Filed Nov. 2; 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATORNEY A ril 1, 1941. J. E. BANCROFT BALL CHECK FOR BOWLING ALLEYS 2Sheets-Shet 2 Filed Nov. 2, 1938 INVENTOR Jaw/5.5 f/fiaA/reafir fizz/4 TO R N E Y w w f 2. w M a 4 I I l t l I P 1L'I if] "E l/l 1 g I; TZrVl/Il l/I/III 11/ I/ nnun\\%\%%%%%i 5 2 B Mil}? 0 i L a 7 w a a a 7Patented Apr. 1, 1941 James E. Bancroi't,'Jamaica, N.

American Bowling and New York, N. Y.,

Y., assignmto Corporation,

a corporation or New York Application November 2, 1938, Serial No.

8 Claims. (Cl. 273-17) This invention relates to bowling alleys and in Iparticular to devices for retarding themovement of bowling balls on thereturnways.

The principal object of t e invention is to provide a bowling ballretarder which will check the kinetic energy of the ball when returningto the rack ready for use by the player, butwhich at the same time willpermit the ball to pass and to assume its correct position adjacentother balls which may have been accumulated in the storage rack.

runners which are at a convenient height for the player. This loop typeof return has the disadvantage of permitting the balls to bump, more orless dependent upon the number of balls in the players to develop flatspots in the ball,

usage the ball becomes out of round.

7 Furthermore, the bumping of the balls is dangerplayer which maybepickrack;

ous to the hand of the ing up a ball from the There are other ballchecks which operate to retard the ball at some position prior totheplayers rack, but these have the defect of causing a reversal in thedirection of rotation of the ball which soon wears a slight groove inthe rails supporting the ball.

The applicant desires to bring the ball to as gradual a stop as possibleand without shock in order to avoid wear on the ball or the rail. He hastherefore designed a mechanism which will engage the ball and move withit and carry it .for a fixed distance, during which time the kineticenergy of the ball is absorbed by the mechanism. The mechanism thenreleases the ball and permits it to roll freely and easily to its finalposition in the players rack. In order. to check the ball withoutcausing a reversal in its rotation, which would tend to wear a groove inthe rails; the applicant has provided a roller which follows thenatural-rotation of the ball throughout the entire checking operation.Furthermore, the checking device is preferably provided with a dashpotdamper which 7 mit of a proper time being allowed for the mechanismtovabsorb the kinetic energy of the ball. As a result of this,applicant's device operates very smoothly and causes no wear at anypoint in either the ball or the rail.

is adjustable so as 'to perp in acting asthe check engages the peripheryand r cants device,.a'nd this the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sldeelevation showing a bowling alley return with the ballcheck mounted therein.

Figure 2 is atop plan view of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a section showingthe detailed construction of the dashpot.

Similar reference numerals parts throughout the drawings.

usual form, and when The ball check is adapted to be mounted preferablynear the end of the decline of the track atsection I, The ball 5 uponpassing onto the decline 3 strikes a roller 6 which is mounted in ayoke 1. The yoke 1 is pivoted prefso mounted that they move with the thedirection of the ball at all times.

It will be further noted that the ball 5 when passing alolig the runway3 is moving with its periphery advancing toward the roller. The rollerfollows the rotation of the ball without retarding this rotation in anyway.

Ina number. of ball checks now in use a fixed device isJ'llSfl insteadof the roller 01' the applithe rotation at, the ball instantaneously-,and due to the inertia of the ball, there is a reversed rota- I ball andin fixed stop tends to check tion actually-caused which wee-rs a groovein the track. Applicant's design entirely elimlaates the a comratus.

In order to provide the cushioning eliect in the yoke I and to absorbthe kinetic energy oi the ball,anarm,il isrigidiyattachedtoahingepln I.This'arm ll terminatesin a clevis II which is attached toa piston rod itwhich in turn operates in a cylinder ll. The cylinder ll at its lowerextremity is mounted on a fulcrum point I. The piston l3 and arm ii andthe yoke I to give desired cushioning action, and to the roller I thereturn it to ia o! the kinetic enemy steady but positive release,

quirua' shockahsorbena plicant hasusedaeastingiiofsimpledesignwhichisatli-slower 'withaeoneshaped pocket .il whichrests upon the cost]:-

elevation in the cylinder II is filled with oilat a at 2!. In the lowerThe tank 23 cal seat 20 for a needle valve 29. valve 2! has a shaft IIwhich extends upward through a guide bushing 3i mounted in the top ofthe tank 23. The shaft ll extending through the guide bushing ii isaccessible for adjusting the needle valve toward and from its seat 28.Thisisof courseaczxnnplishedintheusual manner by a screw 32 formed onthe needle valve itself and engagi g a correspon i threaded hole in'thecasting it at this position.

Referring to the details intheyoke'Litis-importanttonotethata of lightweight, are provided on two softrubberrinasll. These are so positionedand spaced as against the ball when it is also posisoitrubber rings tobe the sole contact engaged by the check. The rings are tioned apart soas to avoid a posslblecondition wherein both rubber rin s might dropinto the linger holes in the same bowling ball at the same cylinder I!operate through the' aaaasso blll Letters Patent is:

the roller i and the yoke 1 over at an angle, tatingtheshsftflandmovintthearm i-i through the clevis it and piston II downward intothe the pressure of angles to the track. the has become larg enough topermit the ball to pass through. The bell thereupon continues into theliayers' rack designated as I. The ball, inving heed the yoke I,releases the pressure therefrom andpermlts thespringflwithin-thecyllnderil topressthe piston ll upward, whichin turn moves theyoke tlon. In order that this original position may aiwaysbeacquire,astoporlrumperuismountedinasuitahlepositiontoenssgethesrm l'i.

Ilolerr-initaflmiitisnbviousUnM! to permit the oil to enter from thetank -23 into the cylinder ll when the piston is on the upward or returnstroke. In order to accomplish this the outlet :2 is provided, and theoil rushes from the tank 23 into the outlet 2!, pushing the ball valve24 away from its seat and immediately refl-lls the cylinder IO.

that the position of the pivot shalt the rails or track may be mechanismmounted in any position so long as the same mechanical action isobtained with respect to the handling 01 the ball: and applicant doesnot limit himself to a pivoted position below the ball track.

It is to be noted that the dashpot tank is tilled with oil .to a levelabove the cylinder, and that the elements within the dashpot are alwayssubmerged in oil and therefore no priming the invention. what is isdesired to be secured to required. Having described claimed as newand 1. In a bowling ball retarder, a retarding member comprising a pair01 rotatably mounted soit rubber rings'spaced from cachother and adaptedto engage a ball.

2. A bowling ball retarder comprising a rimway, a movable retardingmember, said member carrying a roller provided with twospaced soit atthe same time rooi'theplstoniendsto back to its 01811131 901-.

yieldably resisting the movement of said stop by dern h i rubber ringsand said member being movable release of the ball therefrom being in adirection from a position in which the rings on said roller that has amain component in the direction of the ball. component. I

3. In a bowling ball retarder, a runway, an 6. In a bowling ballretarder, a runway, a ball arm pivoted below the runway, means for norretarding stop adapted to engage theupper pormally inclining said armtoward the approaching tions of the ball, said stop being in the form ofball and for yieldingly resisting displacement a roller having points ofcontact symmetrically and so positioned that as, the arm rises undermovement of said ball, amounting for said stop the impact of the ball,said roller will reach a whereby it is movable with the ball in adirection position at which it willpermit the ball to pass substantiallycoinciding with the direction of underneath it.

4. In a bowling ball retarder, a runway for from the runway and isadapted to release the balls, a stop for retarding the movement of aball ball when a suflicient divergence is reached and along-said runway,a mounting for said stop means for yieldably resisting the movement ofwhereby it is normally positioned for engagement said stop by the ball,the direction of movement a position in which the 'space between thestop a component at right angles to said main combetween the stop andthe runway, and means for to said main component. yieldably resistingthe movement of said stop by 7. In a bowling ball retarder, a runway,and

from the'time of initial contact to the time of ball in the runwayapproaching said stop, a

never more than slight relatively to said main verging therefrom untilthe divergenceisso great component.

5. A bowling ball retarder comprising a. runstop and the runway and saidrunway comprising way, a stop for retarding the movement of a ball anupwardly inclined portion positioned so as to in said runway; a mountingfor said stop comretard a ballbefore it reaches said stop. prising apivot positioned at a point below the 40 8. In a bowling ball retarder,a runway, an

tween the stop and the runway is so small that adapted to engage theuppei'portions or said ball the bail, the direction of movement of saidstop JAfiESs BANCROFT- from the time of initial contact to the time of I

